Dogs at work…and in training for our security
Photo courtesy of Ben Sklar/For The Washington Post
Dog lovers know that dogs are far smarter than most give them credit for.
So it won’t surprise some to read about their newest skills. A recent feature in The Washington Post by Andrea Sachs details how dogs are being trained for security purposes at facilities in Texas, Pennsylvania and Alabama.
“The dog—all wet nose and whiskers—is the new face of security,” writes Sachs.
A primary purpose is for use by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
“’There is no better overall detector of explosives than a dog’s nose,’ TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger said. ‘Dogs work an environment like no technology can. They are versatile, mobile and very accurate.’”
Besides offering detection, dogs can act as deterrents and “’…also calm the whole screening environment. Animals are inherently fascinating to watch,’” Neffenger said.
German shepherds and many retrievers have been used in the past. Now breeds such as Munsterlanders, Germain shorthaired pointers, Belgian Malinois, weimaraners and springer spaniels are being trained.